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Recent Israeli strikes in Beirut and other populated areas in Lebanon, among the conflict's most intense so far, have destroyed critical infrastructure and devastated civilian communities. ICTJ stands unequivocally with the Lebanese people and all victims across the region and calls for an immediate end to all attacks on and threats to civilian communities and infrastructure.

ICTJ is watching with grave concern the unfolding war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran and its devastating ripple effects across the wider region. Over a month into the conflict, the human cost is staggering. We at ICTJ reaffirm the international principles that govern our shared world and stand unequivocally with all victims across the region.

ICTJ recently convened human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers from Libya, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen for a workshop on digital, open-source investigations. Held on November 3-8 in Kampala, Uganda, the course trained participants on open-source tools with a view to strengthening their work investigating, documenting, and monitoring human rights violations.

On January 28, 2026, ICTJ held its annual January for Justice Leaders benefit dinner in New York City, an event celebrating leaders advancing justice around the world. This edition also marked the beginning of ICTJ’s 25th anniversary year and served as an opportunity to look back on a quarter century spent standing alongside victims, civil society, and institutions in the pursuit of truth, accountability, and lasting peace after mass atrocities.

In an article first published in El Periodico, journalist Andrea López-Tomas paints an intimate portrait of the Lebanese women who against the odds continue to search for their missing loved ones half a century after the civil war began.

From May 25 to June 1, 2025, ICTJ held a series of community dialogues in three rural regions of the Gambia on sexual and gender-based violence, including crimes committed during the Yahya Jammeh dictatorship. The dialogues brought together 122 individuals, including community leaders, victims, and young people, to share their experiences and discuss pathways for justice.

The ongoing war in the Middle East is not an isolated event; it represents a 75-year cycle of violence marked by historical grievances, geopolitical struggles, and humanitarian crises. In the latest episode of this tragic story, Lebanon has become the newest battlefield. So far, the conflict has caused widespread destruction, killed or injured thousands, and displaced over a million in Lebanon. The country now faces many daunting questions about reconstruction, reparations for victims, and the type of society that will emerge in the war’s aftermath.

In this era of technological transformation, it is critically important to develop digital strategies for documenting human rights violations, analyzing data for accountability or reparations purposes, and safely advocating for human rights online. This is particularly true in contexts where victims, human rights actors, and members of the media live in fear. To this end, ICTJ has recently led trainings for human rights activists in conflict-affected countries on open-source investigation tools to help them do their work more effectively.

Almost eight years since The Gambia's former President Yahya Jammeh left power, the country is still seeking justice for the human rights abuses committed during his 22-year dictatorship. In May 2023, the Ministry of Justice released a plan to implement the recommendations of the country's Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. While the plan promises to deliver justice and repair harms, for it to have its intended impact, it requires broad public participation in the process, especially that of young people. With that in mind, ICTJ has partnered with the UN Peacebuilding Fund on a project to encourage Gambian youth to take a leading role in this process and the country's future.